Do you use a VPN?

I use a VPN all the time. It is not because I use it for illegal stuff. Maybe a little.

I just dislike trackers tracking me. Browser addons or adguard/adlock don't really block many private trackers. At least with a VPN, they can track some other IP/Location instead of mine. Plus point is my VPN has an adblocking function hence it kills 2 stones at once.

Old thread but I only use it for things I don't want tracked back to me (nothing illegal) just don't wanna be like hey I saw you were looking at the darkweb on this day.

Bad example but I'm sticking with it.

Do VPNs provide dedicated IPs?
I'm looking for one has great reputation

I used VPN all the time before when i was botting like a clown. Now not so much anymore

Great man. Thanks for this. Appreciate it

What's a VPN? Is it to just browse with privacy??

VPN's give you a false sense of privacy. All the marketing around VPN's try to make you believe that they are a great option to improve privacy. Here is what VPN are really good at:
1- Changing/Hiding your IP 
    -To avoid hackers from finding you
    -To avoid content filtering based on location
2- Encrypt your internet traffic from your computer to the VPN provider
    -Useful to prevent attackers using the same network as you from stealing unencrypted information (password etc..)
    -That is it

Here are the downsides of VPN:
1- It is unencrypted at the end: The "It encrypts your internet traffic so you are safe" argument is only valid for the traffic between your computer and the VPN's servers. So after the servers, the traffic is no longer encrypted and what was not encrypted with https is no longer encrypted at all and attackers on the VPN side can access your information

2- It centralizes traffic meant to be private: When you use a VPN you expect an increase in privacy but the thing is that VPN providers are under the laws of what ever country they are in. And using a VPN redirects your internet traffic to them and this is done with all of their users. So it is literally a gold mine for governments or other organizations trying to get information about their population or specific users. (Should I recall you that you sing in to those services with your email aka your identity and even if it is a new email they still have your ip). The government can just pass a law so that VPN companies based in the country must provide the government access to all of their user's data. And this is already going on. (Look it up, 5 eye alliance). If it is a company that wants access  to the centralized internet traffic data, they can buy it and the VPN provider will make you click that "I accept" button without you reading it so that you can't complain when they share your data with other companies.

3- What it costs: Your money (If they don't sell your information... but still they are obligated to provide government with your data anyway) And if it is a free VPN tell yourself this: how do they make money ? If you don't pay for the product, you ARE the product.

4- Encryption ? : Most of the VPN providers develop their own software which are not open source. This means that you have to trust them when they say it is encrypted. You have to trust that they did not implement a key logger in their desktop app etc..


So what can I do ?

1- Keep using a well know VPN company which is
     -Straightforward about their "selling user's data" policies
     -Not based inside any of the 14 eye alliance (extension of the 5 eye alliance) which are : Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden.

2- Use what is called an alternative: Tor! No, do not be afraid, Tor is not only used by criminals. It is used by people who wants real anonymity. Tor is essentially an open source "VPN" (configured correctly it can be). The difference here is that Tor is like a VPN on steroids. It encrypts your internet traffic and routes it between 3 relays before exiting the Tor network. This is essentially like using 3 VPN at the same time. Also, Tor is open source and is not centralized which means that there are no companies responsible for maintaining it and no companies that can be ordered by law to provide user's data. In fact every relay is ran by a volunteer. And even if the government broke in one of those volunteer's house asking for user information they would not be able to provide it since everything is completely encrypted and there is no way for the relay operator to monitor traffic beyond what is on it's own relay. And there is no "but there was a secret backdoor in the software that allowed me to track you" because it is open source, which means that i can go and check for myself if the code is safe. On android you can download the orbot application which has a VPN mode and it is as simple as that. You can also download the browser on almost every platform (Oh yeah I almost forgot to mention that Tor is a web browser by default and that all the traffic outside of it (unless configured differently) is not going to go trough the Tor network).

So yeah, don't use a VPN, use Tor

dont even know if i trust my own VPN.. I used to, but they all seem to have something in the TOS that i dont like.

no i dont use VPN for common bnrowsing :hypers:

All the time. Mainly to keep from prying eyes of ISP and to unlock geo content. 
actually mainly to unlock geo restricted content....